Erik Writing 101

Home of the Brave

Gol is a cow, but Katherine Applegate (author of Home of The Brave) also uses her as a symbol. How does Gol represent Kek’s past, present, and possibly his future?

Gol represents his past because Kek used to be a cow herder, they moved according to the sun. Gol can represent Kek’s present because Gol is old and weary like Kek feels. He feels old because he is only a child, to have gone through so much. Kek feels weary because of his travels. And Gol is alone, like Kek. He feels like he doesn’t belong, like the cow in the winter. Kek wanting to run away is similar to that. Gol represents his future because she is going into a new world, like Kek and his mom